Blessing Hospital celebrates its 150th anniversary during 2025. This is the second in a series of stories celebrating the anniversary, and generations of care, compassion and community through the stories of family members at Blessing.
Dr. Damion Dodd? It could have been.
Blessing Health System’s administrative director of facilities, engineering and development, Damion graduated from Quincy High, received an academic scholarship to Quincy University and began studying biology to become a veterinarian.
But his first “construction project” changed that plan. Shortly after enrolling in college he met his future wife, Heather, and his focus shifted to building a family.
“I got into construction,” Damion said. “It was a means to support my family. It was a good way to earn a living with the high school diploma I had at the time.”
Construction became more than a way for Damion to earn a living, it became a way for him to build a life with Heather.
Even though he had no formal training, Damion began reading blueprints for a local company and was good at it. His skill led to him representing the company over the course of nine years on job sites across the region as they built Wal Mart stores.
But Damion’s first love is family, and that caused him to look for a different position in the construction field.
“It was not good for family life because I had to travel,” he said. “I was gone for two weeks at a time, and home for two days. It was just not conducive to a family lifestyle.”
Damion finds Blessing with the help of family
“I have an uncle who works at Blessing – Chuck Stapp (manager, power plant/grounds). He said, ‘I think there is something you would be interested in here. The place has been good to me.”
Damion’s interview with the hiring manager, however, started with a jolt.
“He said I was not qualified for the job, but he was encouraged to interview me because I might sway his mind.”
Damion did just that. He was hired as a member of the Blessing Hospital construction crew.
“I was able to take advantage of the Educational Assistance program that Blessing offers after my first year. What a huge benefit that is. Since construction had become my profession and passion, I focused on getting my construction management degree.”
Damion also set his sights on the job of the person who hired him after the man retired. Again, he was successful.
“I continued to further educate myself in healthcare, construction and administration,” he said. “Here we are – 17 years and a few handfuls of title changes later. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity and support of the organization, and the confidence they have had in me, to work my way up to an administrative director level.”
Damion knows that whether you are building a structure, a career or family, no one does it alone.
“I take pride in my relationships with my team and – as I call them – my sister and brother departments throughout the health system,” he said. “That’s been my key to success. It’s one thing to have the knowledge and skill set, you also need to understand the organization and its goals and take a wholistic approach.”
What’s next for Damion?
“I do leave a lot in God’s hands. I just continue to try to be the best I can be at what I do. You’ve got to earn it (the next promotion).”
In addition to building a successful career of 17 years, Damion and Heather have built a life of 25 years together and a family of four children – Carson, Caleigh, Ava and Eli. Carson is an apprentice electrician, Caleigh has a marketing degree, Eli is in 7th grade and Ava is a sophomore at Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Ava’s story
As a child, health issues required Ava to receive care in St. Louis. With wisdom beyond her years and raised by a mother and father who approach life with great passion – Ava learned about caregiving.
“I remember seeing the difference between a good nurse and a nurse that didn’t have the passion. I could feel that difference as a patient.”
Today Ava is working to be one of the “good nurses” she knew as a child.
“Having that patient perspective going into nursing, you can put yourself in their shoes and be the best you can be for them.”
And just like her dad, Ava has a fascination with building – but in her own way.
“I like building the therapeutic patient-nurse relationship. We were in the same nursing home for a couple of our clinicals. I was able to go back and see the same patients and see how our relationship we built grew.”
Family is as important to Ava as it is to her father and that is – in part - what drew her to Blessing for her nursing education.
“He has a lot of close relationships with everyone here. Anywhere we go you see someone from Blessing and they are always so friendly. Even just walking into the hospital everyone is talking to him, ‘How’s your family?’ I feel as if everyone here wants the best for each other and it shows. That makes it a good place for education and wanting to grow.”
Ava has her sights set on a career achievement that would eclipse her father’s success. Her “dream goal” is to earn a doctorate of nursing degree with an oncology focus, a passion born from her mother’s experience with cancer.
“I have a lot of compassion for the emotional turmoil of cancer, as well as the physical aspects,” Ava said. “Having a compassionate nurse, especially in oncology, is a confidence boost and hope for a patient.”
Ava has seen those outcomes in her clinical experiences as a student.
“Just having someone to talk to - to hold their hand – it gives them so much strength to fight their illness.”
“Family means a lot,” Damion concluded. “When Heather was sick it affected all of us in different ways, but drove us all into that passion.”